Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-06-30
"A BLACK PAGE OF HISTORY.

"A BLACK PAGE OF HISTORY"
Col Geo. B. Curry addressed the
Oregon Pioneer association III which he
spoke in terms of communication Of the
Nee Perccs, who were accustomed to 60
out as far as the Grand Ronde valley to
meet the incoming immigration and
protect them from the Snake aud other
hostile bands as they wended their way
to the settlement of Oregon. But Curry
no where mentions the after conduct Of
some Of these Nez Perces, or any of the
causes of the Nez Perez war, nor does
he reflect upon the conduct Of the settlers
who made settlement Of Eastern Oregon
or Idaho. This is left for the Oregon
ian to do in its comments wholly un-
called for, ten years after the Nez
Perez war Of 1877, and in conflict with
the utterance of the Oregonidn on
several occasions since said war. 1t
would seem that that journal wants to
revive afresh the grave charges against
the settlers, which have been denied over
md over again, by settlers who were
familiar with the causes Of the war, and
the manner in which it was precipitated
and conducted. The beginning of the
war was in Idaho, and against the citi
xcns Of Idaho aud conducted on the part
of the settlers entirely on the defensive
and without any provocation against the
Indians, or any trespass upon their lands
or any existing strife or difficulties at the
time when these Indians made the at
tack and murdered individual settlers at
their homes and their families and
burned their property, located in pur
suance Of treaty made with the Nez
Perez in 1868 aud ratified by congress
and these Indians in 1867 and had there
resided for years in perfect peace
and concord with the Indians around
them, no one Directing on either side
Wallowa.v valley was the country Joseph
claimed which was not in Idaho, and thu
Idaho settlers in Idaho had never gone
into that valley nor claimed any portion
Of it A few Of the Oregon settlers hat
gone there and made settlement b,
permission Of the government, where tn
government had made surveys and in
vited settlement, as was then interpreted
in accordance with the treaty Of 1867
no one Directing but Joseph and a small
band who had refused to acknowledg,
the authority Of the tribe. The who'll
band did not number forty persons, men
women and children. They would com
to the Indian council at the Agency, bu
would remain from one half mile to
mile from the council grounds, an
would not accept Of any annuities fur
nished and distributed by the government
agents. This attitude he had assume
for several years after his father dice
No one molested him. He did nc
claim any portion Of territory in Idaho
nor that idaho settlers were interferin
with any ofhis lands or other possessions
But when he determined to make wa
he entirely abandoned the Wal!ow
country and took his little band c
braves and his stock and came to Idah
with them, under the pretense to Ger
Howard that he was going to settle wit
the other Indians upon the reservatio.
and only asked thirty days time Of Ger
Howard to 30 to the Wallowa and gathe
his stock and drive them to the reserv'
ton. He gathered his band and b
stock and came and crossed corner {
the reservation and pitched his camp jul
outside of the reservation and cou
menced horse racing, in which whit
mingled on the most friendly term
entirely unsuspecting Of any furth'
hostile intent on the part Of Joseph ar
his band. Meantime detachment of h
force were sent to Salmon river, at
commenced numbering lone settlers sou
twenty-five miles away along Saline
river; settlers who had never had AT
trouble with any of his men and ha
never given any cause for offcuse, ar
approached toward Joseph's camp, mu
dering every one they met, and as Il
news reached Joseph's camp, JOSEF
ordered his camp broken up and his N.
to 60 and assist in completing the mu
der. When the settlers learned on Cam
Prairie what was going on they becou
alarmed and began to gather and iorti
themselves and families, although maj
that were unwilling to credit the repo
Of killing on Salmon river, and hesitate
to believe any hostile intent, until d
truth was forced upon them by thea
c..r>ron an tho pra;ria of the detac